WHSC
News Releases for February

February
28, 2003

Dr. Sheryl Heron Receives Award
For Her Work Addressing Domestic Violence
Sheryl Heron, MD, MPH, assistant professor in the Department of Emergency
Medicine at the Emory University School of Medicine, was recently honored
with the third annual Hearts With Hope Award for her dedication and
commitment to addressing domestic violence and its devastating impact
on families, the workplace and society. The award is sponsored by the
Atlanta-based Partnership Against Domestic Violence, which supports
women and their families in their efforts to live violence free. FULL STORY

February
28, 2003

Adolescents with High Exposure
to Rap Music Videos Exhibit Higher Levels of Risky Health Behaviors
Risky behavior and a heightened incidence of sexually transmitted diseases
(STDs) among African-American female adolescents may be linked to high
exposure to rap music videos, according to a study in the March issue
of the American Journal of Public Health. FULL STORY

February
27, 2003

Institute of Medicine President
Speaks On Bioterrorism, 'Lessons from the Swine Flu Program'
Harvey V. Fineberg, MD, PhD, President of the Institute of Medicine,
National Academy of Sciences, will speak on "Lessons from the Swine
Flu Program in an Age of Bio-terrorism" at 4 p.m. Monday, March 10,
in the auditorium of the Woodruff Health Sciences Center Administration
Building, 1440 Clifton Road, Emory University campus. FULL STORY

February
26, 2003

Fifty Years of Heart Care Progress:
J. Willis Hurst MD, One of The Emory Clinic's Founders, Discusses Innovations
Over Half A Century
In l953, cardiologist J. Willis Hurst, MD (a member of the Emory faculty
since l950) saw along with other faculty members something new and
potentially revolutionary on the medical horizon for Atlanta –
an opportunity to transform how medical care was delivered by combining
the best clinical care with medical education and research.FULL STORY

February
21, 2003

Cell Transplant Society Holds
6th International Congress in Atlanta March 2-5
Leading international scientists in stem cell research and transplantation
will present their most recent discoveries at the 2003 Cell Transplant
Society 6th International Congress in Atlanta, March 2-5. The meeting
is sponsored by the Emory University Center for Transplantation and
the Georgia Tech/Emory Center for the Engineering of Living Tissues.
It will take place at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Atlanta. The scientific
program is available online at http://www.celltx.org/seminar/FULL STORY

February
20, 2003

Can Spirituality Improve Quality
of Life in Parkinson’s Disease Patients?
Emory Researchers Begin Study in Search of Answers
Some forms of complementary and alternative medicine are becoming more
widely accepted in the fight against chronic diseases and disabilities..
But can the most intangible of complementary interventions ≠ things
such as spirituality, prayer and training in holistic health -- work
to improve the quality of life, brain functioning and movement in patients
with a progressive illness like Parkinson's disease? FULL STORY

February
19, 2003

Atlanta Teenager's Book on
Fragile X Syndrome is Personal Account of How Disabilities Affect Families
Carly Heyman is a 16-year-old girl who knows first-hand the tremendous
challenges of a major disability –– not her own, but that
of her 22-year-old brother, Scott. When Scott was four years old, he
was diagnosed with fragile X syndrome, which is the leading cause of
inherited mental retardation. FULL STORY

February
19, 2003

Emory
Heart Study Concludes Young Adults With Heart Disease Have Dramatically
Increased Risk of Death
Young people who smoke, are overweight and/or have diabetes are often
not concerned about these risk factors for heart disease -- they assume
heart attacks and stroke only happen to folks who are much older. But
a new Emory study published today in the Journal of the American
College of Cardiology concludes that people under 40 who are diagnosed
with coronary artery disease have a dramatically increased risk of death.
FULL STORY

February
19, 2003

Else
Named Associate Director for Animal Resources at Yerkes National Primate
Research Center
February 19, 2003 – James Else, D.V.M., has been named associate
director for animal resources at the Yerkes National Primate Research
Center of Emory University. Dr. Else’s responsibilities include
overseeing animal care and husbandry, veterinary medicine, animal records
and non-human primate enrichment at the Yerkes Main Station and Field
Station.FULL STORY

February
19, 2003

Emory
Healthcare Begins Smallpox Vaccinations
A small number of doctors and nurses in Emory Healthcare will receive
smallpox vaccinations as a precautionary measure in accordance with
national preparedness plans developed by the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention.FULL STORY

February
18, 2003

Emory
Center for AIDS Research Sponsors HIV/AIDS Prevention Summit to Build
Community Partnerships
On Friday, February 28, 2003, the Emory Center for AID Research (CFAR)
is hosting its first regional HIV/AIDS prevention summit, "Atlanta
Responds to HIV: Research, Community, and Public Health Practice."
The summit will be held at the downtown Decatur Holiday Inn from 8:30
a.m. until 4 p.m. FULL STORY

February
14, 2003

Women
Abused as Children Show Elevated Hormonal Responses to Stress That May
Add to Risk of Adult Psychiatric Disorders
Women who were sexually or physically abused as children show significantly
elevated hormonal responses to stress compared to women with no history
of childhood abuse, according to a study by researchers at the Emory
University Conte Center for the Neuroscience of Mental Disorders, which
is funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and led by Charles
B. Nemeroff, M.D., Ph.D. Dr. Nemeroff presented his findings on Feb.
14 in a symposium at the American Association for the Advancement of
Science (AAAS) annual meeting in Denver. FULL STORY

February
14, 2003

Adverse
Experiences in Early Childhood Cause Brain Adaptations That Can Lead
to Later Psychiatric and Neurological Disorders
Adverse experiences both perinatally and during early childhood, including
abuse, neglect and severe medical illness, can have both immediate and
long-term consequences on the development of the central nervous system,
according to accumulating research in rodents and primates. Investigators
from the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Emory University
School of Medicine will present evidence detailing neural adaptations
to early adverse experiences in a symposium at the American Association
for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual meeting in Denver. The
symposium, entitled "Developmental Effects of Deprived Caregiving"
will take place Sat., February 15 at 8:30 am.FULL STORY

February
14, 2003

Emory
University Physician Is Editor of Office Practice of Medicine,
One of the Largest Medical Textbooks of Its Kind In the Country
William T. Branch, MD, Carter Smith, Sr. Professor of Medicine at the
Emory University School of Medicine and director of the Division of
General Medicine for the Emory School of Medicine at Grady Memorial
Hospital, is editor of the newly published Office Practice of Medicine,
one of the largest, nationally recognized medical textbooks of its
kind. The book, published by the W. B. Saunders Company, is now in its
fourth edition and is bigger and more comprehensive and includes chapters
written by several Emory School of Medicine physicians. FULL STORY

February
13, 2003

Emory
Researchers Identify Link Between Lipid Abnormalities and AIDS Therapy
Researchers from Emory University and the Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical
Center have used a lipid biomarker called apolipoprotein C-III (ApoC-III)
to help establish the relationship between HIV antiretroviral therapy
and the development of lipid abnormalities. The research was presented
on February 13th at the 10th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic
Infections, held in Boston.FULL STORY

February
13, 2003

Roberto
Pacifici, MD, Named New Director of
Emory's Endocrinology and Metabolism Division
Roberto Pacifici, MD, professor of medicine, has been appointed the
new director for the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism at the
Emory University School of Medicine. Dr. Pacifici comes to Emory from
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, where
he held joint appointments in the departments of medicine and radiology.
FULL STORY

February
13, 2003

Endothelial
Progenitor Cells Could Serve As Biological Marker for Cardiovascular
Risk
The number of circulating endothelial progenitor cells in an individualís
blood ≠≠ the precursor cells to those that line the insides of blood
vessels ≠≠ may be an indicator of overall cardiovascular health, according
to research by scientists at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
(NHLBI) and Emory University School of Medicine. The research was published
in the Feb. 13 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. FULL STORY

February
11, 2003

Jerry
Lewis Scheduled for Lecture at Emory University Hospital
Comedian Jerry Lewis will address Atlanta clinicians about the management
of chronic pain. Mr. Lewis has joined a public education initiative
called TAME THE PAIN that links people in chronic pain with pain specialists.
Mr. Lewis has suffered for 40 years with excruciating back pain, caused
by a career of comedic pratfalls, which nearly drove him to suicide.FULL STORY

February
11, 2003

Women's
Physical Function Suffers More Than Men's From Cardiac-Related Chest
Pain, Says Emory Researcher
Women with chronic chest pain associated with angina pectoris experience
more detrimental effects on their quality of life than men, according
to a study published in the January issue of the journal Pain.FULL STORY

February
11, 2003

National
Heart Failure Awareness Week: Emory Heart Failure Specialist Says Cases
Of Heart Failure On Rise -- But So Is Hope
According to the Heart Failure Society of America, which is sponsoring
this week's National Heart Failure Awareness Week, about 555,000 new
cases of heart failure are diagnosed each year in the U.S. -- and the
numbers are expected to rise.FULL STORY

February
10, 2003

Emory
University Stays on the Cutting Edge of Nutrition Science With the Development
of a New Nutrition Center
Nutrition researchers at Emory University have launched the Emory Center
for Clinical and Molecular Nutrition, a multi-disciplinary research
unit based in the Department of Medicine, which was established in 2002
to facilitate and strengthen the presence of nutrition-oriented research
on campus. FULL STORY

February
6, 2003

Emory
and Children's Heart Transplant Recipients Celebrate Life at 15th Annual
Heart To Heart Event, Sunday, Feb. 9
Kenishia Woods of Decatur is an active 22 year old. But she remembers
how different her life was as a child when a congenital heart ailment
prevented her from playing with friends. "I was constantly tired.
And I stayed inside all summer long. I couldn't take the heat,"
she recalls. But in 1991, her health and her life changed dramatically
when she received a heart transplant.FULL STORY

For more general information
on The Robert W. Woodruff Health Sciences
Center, call The Health Sciences Communications Office at 404-727-5686, or send e-mail to hsnews@emory.edu